LADY Why wilt thou needs have it to be my husband?" he never had any reason to be offended at me, I always loved him while he was living, and should prefer him to any man, were he so still. Mr. Tinsel is indeed very idle in his talk, but I fancy, Abigal, a discreet woman might reform him. ABIGA L. That's a likely matter indeed! did you ever hear of a woman who had power over a man, when she was his wife, that had none while she was his mistress! Oh! there's nothing in the world improves a man in his complaisance like marriage ! L A D Y A BIG A L. L A D Y A B I G A L. LADY ABIGA L." L A D Y. A B I G A L. Positive! why he contradicts you in every thing you fay. LADY But then you know, Abigal, he has been educated at the inns of court. ABIGA L. A blessed education indeed! it has made him forget his catechism! LADY. You talk as if you hated him. A BIGA L. you LADY. ។ 1 My dear widow. A BI GA L. LADY. TINSE L. I have been most ridiculously diverted since I left you -your servants have inade a convert of my booby. His head is so filled with this foolish story of a druminer, that I expect the rogue will be afraid hereafter to go upon a mesfage by moon-light. L A D Y 'Ah, Mr. Tinsel, wat a lofs.of Slet-doux would that be to many a fine lady! A BIG A' L. Then you still believe this to be a foolish story? I thought iny Lady had told you, that she had heard it herself. TINSEL Ha, ha, ha! ABIGA L. Why, you would not persuade us out of our senses. TINSEL Ha, ha, ha! A B I G A L. There's manners for you, Madam. (Afíde. L A D Y Admirably rallied! that laugh is unanswerable! now I'll be hanged if you could forbear being witty upon me, if I should tell you I heard it no longer ago than last night. ; TINSEL: Fancy ! L A D Y But what if I'fhould tell you my maid was with me! TIN SE L. Vapours! vapours! pray, my dear widow, will you answer nie one question had you ever this noise of a drum in your head, all the while your husband was living? L A D Y. And pray, Mr. Tinsel, will you let me ask you another question ; do you can hear in the country, as well as y you do in town? 3 TINSEL. Believe me, Madam, I could prescribe you a cure for these imaginations. AB IGAL Don't tell my Lady of imaginations, Sir, I have heard it myself. TINSE L. A BIG AL. TIN TINSEL. ABIGAL Masry, Sis, by your talk one would believe you thought every thir.g that was good is a megrim. L A D Y. Why truly I don't very well understand what you mean by your doctrine to me in the garden juft now, that every thing we saw was made by chance. AB I G A L. A very pretty subject indeed for a lover to divert his miftress with. LADY But I suppose that was only a tafte of the conversation you would entertain me with after marriage. TINSEL Oh, I shall then have time to read you fuch lectures of motions, atoms, and nature that you shall learn to think as freely as the beft of us, and be convinced io leis 'than a month, that all about us is chance-work. LADY. You are a very complaisant person indeed; and fo you would make your court to me, by persuading me that I was made by chance ! TINSEL. Ha, ha, ha! well faid, my dear! why, faith, thou wert a very lucky hit, that's certain. L A D Y Pray, Mr. Tinsel, where did you learn this odd way of talking ? TINSEL Ah, widow, 'tis your country innocence makes you think it an odd way of talking. L A D Y. 'Though you give no credit to stories of apparitions, hope you believe there are such things as spirits! 1 -I'm a TINS EL. ABIGA L. TINSEL. L A D Y TINSE L. A BIG A L. LA D Y TINSEL To tell you the truth, I have not time to look into these dry matters myself, but I am convinced by four oria five learned men, whom I sometines overhear at a Coffee-tou e I frequent, that our forefathers were a pack of asses, that the world has been in an error for some thousands of years, and that alt the people upon earth, excepting those two or three worthy gentleinen, are imposed upon, cheated, bubbled, abuted, bamboozled ABI GA L. Madam, how can you hear such a profligate? he talks: like the London prodigal. Ł AD Y T I N S E L. frighten K.4 |
